Jeremiah 18

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

The word that came from the Lord to

2 "Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear my words."

Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there thou shalt hear my words.

3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and look, he was making a work on the wheels.

So I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.

4 When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make [it].

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

6 "'House of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter?' says the LORD. 'Look, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.'

Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are ye in my hands.

7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

[If] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation, or upon a kingdom, to cut them off, and to destroy [them];

8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I thought to do to them.

and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.

9 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

And [if] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant [it];

10 if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit them.

and they do evil before me, so as not to hearken to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.

11 Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: Look, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.'

And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.

12 But they say, 'It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do everyone after the stubbornness of his evil heart.'"

And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.

13 Therefore thus says the LORD: "Ask now among the nations, who has heard such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

Therefore thus saith the Lord; Enquire now among the nations, who has heard such very horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done?

14 Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

Will fertilising streams fail [to flow] from a rock, or snow [fail] from Libanus? will water violently impelled by the wind turn aside?

15 For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false gods; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up;

For my people have forgotten me, they have offered incense in vain, and they fail in their ways, [leaving] the ancient tracks, to enter upon impassable paths;

16 to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

to make their land a desolation, and a perpetual hissing; all that go through it shall be amazed, and shall shake their heads.

17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity."

I will scatter them before their enemies like an east wind; I will shew them the day of their destruction.

18 Then they said, "Come, and let us make plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the cohen, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words."

Then they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.

19 "Give heed to me, LORD, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.

Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.

20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.

Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they [meant] for me; remember that I stood before thy face, to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men struck of the sword in battle.

Therefore do thou deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

Let there be a cry in their houses: thou shalt bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.

23 Yet, LORD, you know all their counsel against me to kill me; do not forgive their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from your sight; but let them be overthrown before you; deal you with them in the time of your anger."

And thou, Lord, knowest all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before thee: let their weakness come before thee; deal with them in the time of thy wrath.